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Since their feud began over twenty years ago, Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump have never held back their opinions about each other.
During a 2006 episode of The View‘s Hot Topics segment, the former host criticized Trump for positioning himself as the moral authority amid the Tara Conner controversy. She expressed her disdain, saying, “He irritates me on many levels. He left his first marriage, had affairs, left his second wife, and had children both times, yet he acts as the moral compass for 20-year-olds in America.” She added, “Donald, sit and spin, my friend. I don’t enjoy him.”
In response, Trump called O’Donnell a “woman out of control” in an interview with PEOPLE, and their rivalry has persisted ever since. The current president frequently targets her on social media.
Most recently, O’Donnell attributed her move to Ireland to Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration in January 2025. She stated during an interview on RTÉ’s Late Late Show that Trump “has it out for me and has for 20 years—ever since I told the truth about him on The View.”
Trump has since threatened to revoke O’Donnell’s U.S. citizenship. So, what’s behind the decades-long feud between Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump? Here’s a breakdown of the origins of their conflict and why it has endured so long.
Their rivalry kicked off in December 2006 when O’Donnell called Trump out on The View. She referenced the Miss USA controversy involving Tara Conner and Trump’s comment, “I’ve always believed in second chances. Tara is a wonderful person. Tara has worked hard. Tara will be given another opportunity.”
On the show, O’Donnell echoed Trump’s sentiments but then criticized him directly, calling him the “snake-oil salesman from Little House on the Prairie.” She argued, “This man is not a self-made man,” pointing to his wealthy father.
Trump responded in an interview with PEOPLE, claiming his father “never gave me tons of money.” He accused O’Donnell of false statements, saying, “Rosie will regret the words she spoke. I’ll probably sue her for making those false claims—and it’ll be fantastic. Rosie is a loser, a real loser.”
Since then, they’ve engaged in a constant retort on social media. For example, in December 2011, after O’Donnell announced her engagement to Michelle Rounds, Trump posted that he felt “sorry for Rounds’ parents,” calling O’Donnell a “loser” once again.
Years later, Trump attacked O’Donnell again on Twitter after she publicly discussed her weight loss journey, labeling her “not politically correct” for talking about it. She later revealed that the bullying she endured, especially from Trump, profoundly affected her, saying, “Probably the Trump bullying was the worst I ever experienced, including as a child. It was national and socially acceptable. Whether I earned it or not is up to your perspective.”
In 2014, Trump openly criticized O’Donnell again, this time for expressing shame about her weight, tweeting, “Rosie O’Donnell just said she felt ‘shame’ at being fat—not politically correct! She killed Star Jones for weight loss surgery, just had it!”
During his 2015 presidential campaign, Trump again mentioned O’Donnell, notably during the first Republican primary debate when Megyn Kelly asked about his derogatory language towards women, to which Trump responded, “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”
The name reemerged in 2016 when Trump ran against Hillary Clinton, stating, “I said very tough things to Rosie O’Donnell, somebody who has been very vicious to me, and I think everybody would agree she deserves it.”
O’Donnell responded in a now-deleted Twitter post, calling him an “orange anus.” Following his election, she expressed her concerns about surviving his administration, telling W Magazine in October 2017, “It has taken me a full year to come to terms with him being president in a way that I can express my thoughts without overwhelming rage or sadness.” She also voiced fears about the potential for nuclear conflict with a “maniac in command.”
Her disdain was evident at a demonstration outside the White House in August 2018. After Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, she revealed on TikTok that she had moved to Ireland with her kid, Clay, expressing hope to return when “it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights here in America.” She further shared on The Late Late Show that she remains stunned by Trump’s persistent references to their feud, saying, “He was very angry, to say the least, and he hasn’t let it go. He uses me as a punchline whenever he feels the need.”
When Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin visited the U.S. on St. Patrick’s Day, Trump commented on O’Donnell’s emigration, joking that he “liked” the question about her move, then asked Martin if he knew her. Martin dismissed the question, and Trump humorously suggested he was “better off” not knowing her.
In July 2025, Trump announced via social media that he was “giving serious consideration” to revoking O’Donnell’s citizenship. He wrote, “She’s a threat to humanity and should stay in Ireland if she wants. God bless America.” O’Donnell responded on Instagram: “You want to revoke my citizenship? King Joffrey, go ahead—try a tangerine spray tan. I am not yours to silence. I never was.” Many celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres, voiced their support for O’Donnell.
This ongoing feud reflects a complex history of personal insults, political disagreements, and public battles that have persisted for over twenty years, illustrating how deeply intertwined their animosity has become.
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